Volcanos are volatile and destructive but, through the chaos, new land is created and new opportunities appear.

This was the message from Green Mountain College Board of Trustees member Dianne Dillon-Ridgley at the college’s 182nd and final commencement ceremony Sunday morning.

The college announced in January it would be closing its doors at the end of this semester due to declining enrollment, a fate shared by Southern Vermont College and the College of Saint Joseph.

The last 237 students to graduate from the college received their diplomas and the, at times emotional, ceremony had a common theme running throughout the nearly dozen speakers who took the stage.

“The college is closing,” William Throop, a professor at the college, said, “But the community is not.”

Many struggled through tears as they gave their speeches, but hope was shared by those who took the stage, including graduating senior Isabella Fearn.

Fearn said it devastating knowing she would not be able to return to the college to visit faculty or other students, but the challenge was one she and others were prepared for.

“We always knew we would someday depart from this place, but to depart with the understanding that we will never return to this college is a heavy weight to carry,” Fearn said. “We are resilient. We know the weight of responsibility and we carry it well.”